Balancing mental health and type 1 diabetes

Taking care of your mental health with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is just as important as managing your blood sugar and taking your insulin.

Statistics show that mental health issues can affect people of all ages living with T1D:

There are also anxieties exclusive to people with T1D, particularly fear of hypoglycemia, which is associated with substandard diabetes management and reduced health outcomes.

Breakthrough T1D is working to address mental health concerns for people living with type 1 diabetes through education, research, and community support.

Breakthrough T1D Mental Health Guide

Thriving with T1D starts with your mental and emotional well-being. Our Mental Health Guide offers information to help you better manage your mental health with type 1 diabetes, including:

• Guidance on coping with the stress of T1D
• Tips on how to deal with the loss of sleep with T1D
• Advice on finding a mental health professional
• A deep dive into the differences between anxiety, depression, distress, and burnout with T1D

Funded research in mental health and type 1 diabetes

For more than three decades, Breakthrough T1D has funded research that addresses the mental health challenges that can come with T1D, including diabetes distress, eating disorders, and anxiety. Some current Breakthrough T1D-supported studies in this area include:

• Reducing Diabetes Distress Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes
  Exploring whether the combination of a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) with telemedicine-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy can help reduce diabetes distress in young adults versus the use of a CGM alone.

• iAct for Eating Disorders in Type 1 Diabetes
  Investigating the use of cognitive behavior therapy with mobile phone-delivered interventions to improve diabetes management and decrease eating disorder symptoms and emotional distress in adolescents and adults living with type 1 diabetes.

• The T1D Parent Check-In: A Preventative Intervention
  Examining how to decrease diabetes distress in families with a new diagnosis as they adjust to life with type 1 diabetes.

Providing community support for improved health outcomes

Community Summits

Breakthrough T1D Community Summits feature leading experts and T1D community members discussing topics relevant to life with type 1 diabetes, including mental and emotional well-being. Some recent conversations include:

Local chapter support

Your local Breakthrough T1D chapter can also provide valuable support through T1D community connections and events. Find your chapter now!

Living with the burden of type 1 diabetes can be overwhelming, but you are never alone. Through support, research, and education, Breakthrough T1D is helping to reduce the mental health impact of type 1 diabetes and improve health outcomes for the entire T1D community.